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Epictetus

69 quotes. Browse all philosophers or the full archive.

• "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
• "True freedom is living as you wish."
• "Difficulty shows what men are."
• "Wealth consists much more in enjoyment than in possession."
• "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain."
• "Happiness is not in having much, but in being content with little."
• "Inner peace is achieved when we accept what we cannot control."
• "The wise man does not lament what he does not have, but appreciates what he possesses."
• "The greatness of a soul is not measured by the magnitude of its acts, but by the absence of inner agitation."
• "Do not seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do."
• "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."
• "People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of things."
• "The first and most important field of philosophy is the application of principles, such as not lying."
• "Happiness is a state of mind, not a condition of life."
• "What disturbs men are not things, but the opinions they have of them."
• "No one is free if he is not master of himself."
• "We are not disturbed by things, but by the opinion we have of things."
• "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the visions they have of things."
• "Nothing is enough for the man who considers little enough."
• "You cannot avoid the storms of life, but you can learn to navigate through them."
• "The wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be."
• "You become what you practice."
• "Men suffer because they cannot say 'no'."
• "It is not external criticism, but internal confirmation that matters."
• "Wealth is not in having great possessions, but in having few needs."
• "Do not wait for the perfect change; start now."
• "Pleasure is not the end of life, but an accompaniment to just actions."
• "It is not poverty that we consider bad, but our opinion about it."
• "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to respond."
• "If someone has hurt you, do not repay with pain, but with teaching."
• "Do not be led either by anger or by fear."
• "To begin is the most important part of any work."
• "Do not seek that events happen as you want, but want the events as they happen."
• "It is not from wealth that happiness comes, but from virtue."
• "Opinion is the source of all suffering."
• "Do not try to have events happen as you wish; wish for them to happen as they do."
• "First tell yourself what you want to be, then do what you have to do."
• "The man is not disturbed by things, but by the view he takes of things."
• "If you want to progress, abandon thoughts like: 'If I neglect my affairs, I will have nothing to eat.'"
• "Do not seek that things happen as you want, but wish that they happen as they do, and your life will prosper."
• "Once you calm down with renunciation, you will miss less."
• "Remember that your body is nothing but a fragile vessel containing your soul."
• "Do not wear yourself out waiting for things to happen as you wish."
• "If someone has hurt you, do not repay with wounds. Wounds, when repaid, only increase."
• "Instead of thinking about what you do not have, think about what you have that others do not."
• "If you want to overcome the fear of death, think of it every day."
• "Do not seek to avoid the things that happen to men, but accept them with love."
• "You cannot control external events, but you can control the way you react to them."
• "Do not wait for things to happen as you wish. Wish for them to happen as they do."
• "Evil resides not in things, but in the human mind."
• "Do not seek praise. Do your work as well as you can and praise will come of its own accord."
• "Freedom is not wanting anything, fearing nothing."
• "Judge a person not by what they achieve, but by what they overcome."
• "If someone speaks ill of you, add a dose of kindness to your life."
• "It is not what happens to us, but how we react to what happens to us that matters."
• "He who is not content with little, is not content with anything."
• "Do the small things well, for thus is a great destiny made."
• "Keep in mind that all you possess is temporary."
• "Realize that the present moment is all you really have."
• "Do not be distressed by what you cannot change."
• "Tranquility comes when you stop expecting things to be different."
• "True wealth is not in having great possessions, but in having few needs."
• "True joy comes from within, not from without."
• "A boat should not rely on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope."
• "Much of our anger or irritation comes from our own lack of awareness."
• "Integrity is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values, not on personal gain."
• "Continuous practice and discipline are the keys to progress."
• "If you do not want to be frustrated, do not cling to things you cannot control."
• "Pay attention to this: you must not be disturbed by what is outside of your control."